Interactive multimedia book

ABSTRACT

An interactive multimedia book provides hands-on multimedia instructiion to the user in response to voiced commands. The book is implemented on a computer system and includes both text and audio/video clips. The interactive multimedia book is accessed by voiced commands and natural language queries as the primary user input. The displayed text is written in a markup languate and contains hyperlinks which link the current topic with other related topics. The user may command the book to read the text and, as the text is read by the voice synthesizer, a word which is also a hyperlink will change its attributes upon being spoken. The user will be able to observe or hear this and simply utter the word which is the hyperlink to navigate to the linked topic.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a division of copending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/724,035 filed Dec. 1, 2003, by Charles Lamont Whitham, which inturn is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/754,053 filedJan. 5, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,681 by Charles Lamont Whitham for“Interactive Multimedia Book”.

DESCRIPTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to the field of electronic publishing,and more particularly to an interactive multimedia book useful inproviding a user with hands-on multimedia instructions in response tovoiced commands.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Books which provide instruction in various arts, ranging from gardeningto cooking to woodworking, are especially popular, as may be readilyseen by the number of shelves devoted to them in major bookstores.Generally speaking, however, these books are intended to be read at onelocation, and then the knowledge gained from them applied in anotherlocation. Take for example a cookbook. There may be sections of thecookbook which provide instruction on various cooking techniques andother sections which set out the recipes. The user of the cookbook istypically not able to read the book on topics of technique instructionwhile attempting to cook. It is more a matter of reading and thenattempting to execute based on the instructions read. More commonly, acookbook will be laid open in the kitchen at the place of a recipe toallow the user to make more or less frequent reference to theingredients and quantities. For this purpose, there are number ofdevices currently sold in kitchen supply stores which hold a cookbook atan easy to read angle with a transparent plastic cover so as to protectthe open pages of the cookbook from splatters. These devices make itdifficult to page back and forth in the cookbook, but generally thedesired recipe is on a single page.

The ease of use of other types of instructional books is also a problem.A gardening book is typically not found in the environment it describes;that is, in the garden or the potting shed. The book is simply toovaluable to the user to be ruined by soil and water and, in any case,the book is not easily used when one is wearing gardening gloves andhandling a spade or trowel. The same is true of woodworking books. Inthe environment of the wood shop, there are many potentially dangeroustools requiring the full attention of the user. One cannot safelyoperate a radial arm saw while looking at the illustrations in a book.

There are many other instructional books which have the same problems.Many of these are in the nature of do-it-yourself (DIY) repair andmaintenance books, such as home repair and automobile repair andmaintenance books. Consider for example the problem of replacing anelectrical switch in the home. To someone familiar with the procedure,it is quite simple; however, to the new homeowner, even the simplesthome wiring problem can be quite mysterious. And sometimes just readinga book on the procedure does not always provide that sufficient degreeof confidence that would allow the homeowner to confidently andcompetently complete the procedure. As to automobile repair andmaintenance, which at one time was the avocation of many young Americanmales, this is not something attempted much nowadays simply because themodern automobile has become such a complex machine. Yet, there are manythings the average car owner can do on their own provided they had theright instruction. But a book is not always a good substitute forpersonal instruction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bookwhich provides the user with instruction in a safe and effective mannerin a variety of environments.

It is another and more specific object of the invention to provide aninteractive multimedia book which provides hands-on multimediainstruction to the user in response to voiced commands.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an easy to usecomputer system on which the interactive multimedia book may beimplemented and which is suitable to various environments in which thebook might be used.

According to the invention, the interactive multimedia book is publishedon a computer readable medium with the necessary software to support theinteractive operation of the book. Alternatively, the book may bedownloaded from a remote site using a network, such as the Internet, inwhich case the content of the book and the necessary software are copiedto a local medium, such as a computer hard disk. In a preferredembodiment, the book may be published in the form of a compact disk(CD), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other computer readable mediumcontaining both the content of the book and the necessary software. Thecontent includes both text and audio/video clips.

The interactive multimedia book is accessed by a computer system whichis equipped with a microphone and voice recognition software. Voicedcommands and natural language queries are the primary user input to thecomputer system, but conventional inputs, such as the usual keyboard andmouse, can also be provided for user input. The computer system is alsoequipped with a high resolution display, a voice synthesizer with atext-to-speech module, and a speaker or headphone system to provide theoutput to the user. A combination headphone and directional microphonecan be especially convenient in some environments as, for example, thewood shop where the headphones allow the user to better hear theinstruction over the din of machine noise while at the same timeprotecting the user's hearing. Optionally, the computer system may beequipped with a printer to provide the user with a hard copy output ofspecific content.

In operation, when the computer system is initially turned on, adetermination is made as to whether the user has inserted a CD or DVDcontaining an interactive multimedia book or if such a book or books arestored on the hard disk of the computer system. The user is given theoption of selecting and playing an interactive multimedia book. Once theprocess of playing the interactive multimedia book begins, the userselects a specific topic or project in the book by any one of severalinput options, including speaking the topic or project name or speakinga natural language query. Responding to the command or natural languagequery, the computer system accesses the desired topic or project anddisplays text and optionally an image relevant to the topic or project.The displayed text is written in a markup language, such as HyperTextMarkup Language (HTML), and contains hyperlinks which link the currenttopic with other related topics. These hyperlinks have some attribute,such as color, which changes when a pointing cursor is placed on them,as is well known in the art. However, in the preferred embodiment of theinvention, the user may command the book to read the text by, forexample, the spoken command “READ”. As the text is read by thetext-to-speech module of the voice synthesizer, a word which is also ahyperlink will change its visual attribute upon being spoken, just as ifthe pointing cursor had been placed on the word, and activate an auralattribute, such as a bell or chime. The user will be able to observe orhear this and, without having to click a mouse button, simply utter theword which is the hyperlink to navigate to the linked topic.

To facilitate the interactive operation of the book, the voicerecognition system is provided with a limited vocabulary of commands.These include, among others, the command “READ” already mentioned. Othercommands include “CONTENTS”, which causes the contents of the book to bedisplayed, “VIDEO”, which selects a video clip indicated by a displayedicon, and “PLAY”, which plays the selected video clip. A word which is ahyperlink also functions as a command causing the linked topic to beaccessed. To return, to the preceding text, the user speaks the command“RETURN”, this command functioning much the same way as the “BACK ARROW”does in a browser on the World Wide Web (WWW). The number of commands ispurposely kept relatively small to minimize or eliminate the trainingtime required for most voice recognition systems, thereby making theinteractive multimedia book readily useful to the widest audience.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, aspects and advantages will be betterunderstood from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric diagram of a computer system on which theinteractive multimedia book may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the computer system shown in FIG. 1illustrating the connectors for connections to external devices;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration of the computer system of FIG. 1mounted under a wall cabinet;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial illustration of a wireless headphone andmicrophone set which may be optionally used with the computer systemshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the computer system shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, taken together, are a flow diagram illustratingmodifications to the basic operating system of the computer system shownin FIG. 1 including the automatic on and off function, the videoorientation function and inhibition of the internal microphone andspeaker when the wireless headphone and microphone transceiver isinstalled;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating the two functions of thepause/select button on the front edge of the computer system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F, and 8G taken together, are a flow diagramillustrating the voice recognition control functions of the interactivemultimedia book according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating the process of the “READ” commandfunction;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the process of the “LIST” commandfunction;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are flow diagram illustrating the processes of the“VIDEO” and “PLAY” command functions;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the process of the “RETURN”command function; and

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are flow diagrams illustrating, respectively, theprocesses of the “PAUSE”, “RESUME” and “STOP” command functions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The basic invention may be implemented on any personal computer (PC)system having sufficient memory, hard disk space and processor speed andhaving the requisite speech synthesis and voice recognition hardware andsoftware applications to support the invention. Obviously, for many usesof the interactive multimedia book of this invention, a portablecomputer would be desired, but not necessary. For example, if thekitchen has a desk and work space equipped with a desktop computer, thena cookbook version of the invention might be conveniently installed onthat computer. However, in a preferred implementation of the invention,a computer system with a simplified user interface which may bepositioned near the user's work area or mounted under a cabinet ispreferred.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there isshown an isometric view of a preferred computer system 100 on which theinvention may be implemented. The system unit 120 includes the centralprocessor unit (CPU) and supporting electronics of the computer system100 which are housed in a low profile, generally rectangular housing121. Attached to the housing 121 is a display screen 140, such as aliquid crystal display (LCD), hinged to a front edge of the housing 121and which, when folded flat against the housing 121, may be covered byprotective cover 160, hinged to a rear edge of the housing 121. In thepreferred embodiment of the invention, the act of opening or of closingthe protective cover 160 toggles a switch which initiates turn on orturn off of the computer system. Alternatively, and if the protectivecover 160 is omitted, the switch can be toggled on by the rotation ofthe display screen 140 away from the housing 121 or toggled off byfolding the display screen 140 flat against the housing 121.

The front face of the housing 121 has a slot 122 for receiving a compactdisk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD). The CD or DVD inserted intothe slot 122 is automatically transported into a CD/DVD player. An ejectbutton 123 is provided for ejecting the CD or DVD. The only other useroperable device on the front face of the housing 121 is a PAUSE/SELECTbutton 124, preferably a membrane switch and which, by means of singleand double clicks similar to those used on a mouse button, is used tocontrol certain processes of the application program. This button isalso used for cursor movement and selection functions during otherprocesses of the application program. Due to the voice command featuresof the invention, the button 124 is the only user interface normallyneeded; however, for more flexible user interface, particularly withapplications other than the present invention, a conventional keyboardand mouse (not shown) may be used. Preferably, a wireless keyboard andmouse using, for example, an infrared (IR) link would be used to avoidclutter in the work area. For this purpose, an IR transceiver port 125is provided. Also, a microphone 126 is located on the front face of thehousing 121, and a speaker 127 is located on the surface of the housing121 against which the display 140 is folded.

FIG. 2 illustrates the back of the housing 121 to show the variousconnectors for making connections to external devices. These include twouniversal serial bus (USB) ports 201 and 202, to which may be connecteda variety of devices including, for example, a printer, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), an external storage device, and the like.Additionally, there are provided PS/2 connectors 203 and 204 for aconventional keyboard and mouse (not shown) which may be used in thealternative to a wireless keyboard and mouse. A power supply jack 205 isadapted to receive power input from a conventional AC/DC power converter(not shown). Since the computer system may be used for otherapplications including the playing of music recorded on CD and moviesrecorded on DVD, a pair of stereo speaker jacks 206 and 207 are providedto connect to optional external speakers. A headphone and microphone settransceiver jack 208 is provided for use with the optional headphone andmicrophone set shown in FIG. 4. When this jack 208 is in use, theinternal microphone 126 and speaker 127, shown in FIG. 1, and the stereospeaker jacks 206 and 207 are disabled. Finally, a modem output jack 209is provided for optional connection to the Internet.

FIG. 3 shows a wall cabinet 301 mounted on a wall 302 over a basecabinet 303 having a counter top 304, such as would be found in atypical kitchen, for example. The counter top 304, or other worksurface, is a convenient location for placing the computer system, sinceit is close to where the work is being performed by the user. Thedisadvantage of this, however, is that the computer system takes upvaluable working area and could get in the way of some procedures. InFIG. 3, the computer system 100 of FIG. 1 mounted under a wall cabinet301, freeing up valuable work space. At the same time, the computersystem is handy to the user and its screen is easy to view. Theinstallation of the computer system to the underside of the wall cabinet301 may be made by means of slotted holes in the bottom of the housing121 which capture bolt heads projecting down through the cabinet baseor, in the alternative, by means of machine nuts molded into the bottomof the housing 121 into which bolts projecting down through the cabinetbase are threaded. Other ways of mounting the computer system to thebottom of the wall cabinet 301, shelf or wall bracket can also beemployed. When the computer system 100 is mounted to the bottom of thewall cabinet 301, the display screen 140 is rotated downwardly from thehousing 121. Note that in this configuration, the computer system is“upside down” compared to its position in FIG. 1. This would ordinarilymean that the image on display screen 140 would be upside down; however,the computer system includes a built in gravity switch which is checkedeach time the computer system is turned on to determine the orientationof the computer system and then display the image on the display screen140 with the proper rotation for that orientation. This gravity switchand the operation will be described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 5 and 6A.

The optional headphone and microphone set 400 is shown in FIG. 4. Thisset comprises a pair of headphones 401 and 402 connected by anadjustable head strap 403 to allow convenient and comfortable fit to theuser. Attached to one of the headphones, headphone 401 in the figure, isa microphone support 404 and a microphone 405. The microphone support404 is adjustable about pivot point 406 so that the microphone 405 maybe positioned immediately adjacent the user's mouth.

The headphone and microphone set 400 communicates with the computersystem 100 through a wireless radio frequency (RF) link. The RF link canbe based, for example, on the Bluetooth standard. An RF transceiver isbuilt into one of the headphones, headphone 402 in the figure, andprovided with an antenna 407. A communicating RF transceiver 410 plugsinto the back of the computer system main body 121 at jack 208 shown inFIG. 2 by means of plug 411. An antenna 412 is used for transmittingspeech synthesized signals to the headphone and microphone set 400 andfor receiving voice command signals from the headphone and microphoneset 400.

It is contemplated that most applications will not require the optionalheadphone and microphone set 400; however, the headphone and microphoneset 400 would be desirable when working in a high ambient noise area,such as a woodworking shop or performing maintenance and repair on anautomobile. Wearing the headphones additionally provides some hearingprotection.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a computer system architecture on which theinteractive multimedia book may be implemented. The computer systemincludes a central processor unit (CPU) 500 connected to a memorycontroller hub (MCH) 501 via a system bus 502. The MCH 501 is connectedto a random access memory (RAM) 503 via a direct memory bus 504 and avideo graphics chip 505, such as the accelerated graphics port (AGP)graphics chip, via a video bus 506. The display screen 140 is connectedto the AGP graphics chip 505.

The MCH 501 is further connected via high speed interface 507 to aninput/output (I/O) controller hub (ICH) 508. The ICH 508 providesconnection to a personal computer interface (PCI) bus 509, to which isattached one or more PCI slots 510 for option cards, an integrateddevice electronics (IDE) controller interface 511, to which a hard drive512 and a removable media drive 513, such as a CD/DVD drive, areattached, a USB controller 514 connecting to the USB ports 201 and 202(FIG. 2), and a firmware hub (FWH) 515. Operating system (OS) softwareis installed on the hard drive 512. Voice recognition and speechsynthesis software are also installed on the hard drive 512. The ICH 508integrates a local phone network port and an Ethernet network port inlocal area network (LAN) connection 516. The ICH 508 also provides andan interface to a multiple channel audio interface 517, to whichmicrophone 126 and speaker 127 (FIG. 1) and stereo speaker jacks 206 and207 and headphone and microphone set jack 208 (FIG. 2) are connected.The ICH 508 interfaces with a modem 518 for optional connection to theInternet.

The voice recognition software is the primary user input to the system.If the interactive multimedia book is distributed on removable mediasuch as a CD or DVD, the supporting software is first installed on thehard drive 512 and the content read from the removable media. In thealternative, the interactive multimedia book may be down loaded from theInternet and stored on the hard drive 512. It is possible, for example,for the hard drive to store multiple interactive multimedia books, andthe computer system would be a repository or library of books.

The ICH 508 also provides a low pin count (LPC) interface to a super I/Odevice 519 supporting a keyboard, mouse, floppy disk drive, and paralleland serial ports. In the preferred embodiment, only the keyboard andmouse support are utilized, either through the IR transceiver 125(FIG. 1) or the PS/2 ports 203 and 204 (FIG. 2). In addition, the LPCI/O device 519 provides the interface for the membrane switch 124 (FIG.1).

As mentioned, there is a gravity switch 521 which is connected to theLPC I/O device 519. The gravity switch 521 is checked by the CPU 500 aspart of the initial program load (IPL) to determine the orientation ofthe computer system. The gravity switch may be, for example, a mercuryswitch having a central contact and contacts at either end of a bulb andwhich is oriented perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the main body121 of the computer system. Based on the sensed output of the gravityswitch 521, the CPU 500 rotates the image on the display screen 140 sothat the image is displayed right side up to the viewer.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are a flow diagram illustrating modifications to thebasic operating system (OS) of the computer system. These modificationsinclude an automatic on and off function and detection of theorientation of the computer so that the image on the display screen isproperty displayed. The modifications also include inhibiting theinternal microphone and speaker and stereo output jacks when thewireless headphone and microphone transceiver is installed.

Referring first to FIG. 6A, a determination is made in decision block601 as to whether the cover switch has been toggled, indicating that thecover has been opened or closed. If the cover has been opened,indicating that the user desires to turn on the computer system, thenthe normal startup routine of the operating system (OS) is initiated infunction block 602. As part of that startup routine, a determination ismade in decision block 603 as to the orientation of the computer system;that is, is it sitting upright (FIG. 1), say, on a counter top or is itattached below a wall cabinet (FIG. 3). This is done by means of thebuilt-in gravity switch 521. Depending on the orientation of thecomputer system, the display is either rotated 180° in function block604 or not, and then the startup routine makes a determination indecision block 605 as to whether the headphone and microphonetransceiver 410 (FIG. 4) is plugged into the system unit. If so, theinternal microphone and speaker and the stereo speaker jacks areinhibited in function block 606. In either case, the start up routinecompletes in function block 607.

Referring next to FIG. 6B, upon completion of the startup routine, adetermination is made in decision block 608 as to whether a CD or DVD isin the removable media drive 513 (FIG. 5) and, if so, the user isprovided with a prompt on the screen as to whether this book is to beplayed at this time or not in function block 609. This prompt is in theform of buttons which the user can select by a single click of button124 (FIG. 1) or move between buttons by a double click of button 124, asdescribed in more detail with reference to FIG. 7B, below. Assuming thatthe user desires to play the book and makes the appropriate selection,as determined in decision block 610, then the program on the removablemedia is launched in function block 611. On the other hand, should theuser elect not to play the book and selects instead a cancel optionoffered by one of the buttons on the display screen, then the user willbe prompted to access the Internet in function block 618.

If there is no CD or DVD in the removable media drive 513, as determinedin decision block 608, a determination is made in decision block 613 asto whether one or more books are stored on the hard drive 512 (FIG. 5).If so, a list of books currently stored on the hard drive 512 isdisplayed in function block 614. Then the user is prompted in functionblock 615 to select one of the books, again using the singleclick/double click procedure of button 124. The user is also given theoption to cancel in the form of a cancel button. A determination is madein decision block 616 as to whether the user has selected one of thebooks currently on the hard drive or has selected the cancel button. Ifa book has been selected, the book is launched in function block 611. Ifthere are no books currently stored on the hard drive 512, as determinedin decision block 613, or if the user has selected the cancel button, asdetermined in decision block 617, then the user is prompted as towhether the Internet should be accessed to down load a book in functionblock 618. Again the user is prompted by displayed buttons which may beselected by the single click/double click procedure of button 124 inorder to access a site on the Internet. The user is also given a cancelbutton option.

In FIG. 6C, a determination is made in decision block 619 as to whetherthe user has selected access to the Internet. If so, the desired site onthe Internet is accessed and a selected book down loaded in functionblock 620. Once down loaded, the process loops back to function block614 (FIG. 6B) where the down loaded book is now displayed for selectionby the user. Should the user select the cancel button, as determined indecision block 619, the user is prompted to insert a CD or DVD in theremovable media drive 513 or to make a selection of another action infunction block 621. If the user does not make another selection, asdetermined in decision block 622, and instead inserts a CD or DVD, asdetermined by decision block 623, the process loops back to decisionblock 608 (FIG. 6B). If the user selects another action, perhapsunrelated to the interactive multimedia book of the present invention,then the application selected is launched in function block 624.

Returning now to FIG. 6A, if in decision block 601 it is determined thatthe cover has been closed, the shut down procedure is initiated. In thiscase, any active application is closed in function block 625. Once allactive applications have been closed as determined in decision block626, the computer system is powered down in function block 627.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow diagrams illustrating the functions of thePAUSE/SELECT button 124. There are two modes of operation illustratedrespectively in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The first is to control the reading oftext by the text-to-speech module of the speech synthesis function orthe playing of a video clip. The second is for cursor movement andselection of buttons displayed on the display screen in lieu of a mouse.

In the first mode of operation of the PAUSE/SELECT button 124 shown inFIG. 7A, a single click of the button 124 functions to pause or resume afunction. Therefore, if in decision block 701 a single click isdetected, then a further determination is made in decision block 702 asto whether the speech synthesis function is active or a video clip isplaying. If so, that speech synthesis function or video clip is pausedin function block 703, and the process returns to the calling program.If the speech synthesis function is not active or a video clip is notplaying, a determination is made in decision block 704 as to whetherthere is currently a speech synthesis function or a video clip in thepaused condition. If so, the paused speech synthesis function or thepaused video clip is resumed from the point at which it was paused infunction block 705, and the process returns to the main program;otherwise, the single click of the button 124 is ignored, and theprocess returns to the main program. If a double click is detected indecision block 701, then a determination is made in decision block 706as to whether there is either an active or paused speech synthesisfunction or either a playing or paused video clip. If so, the speechsynthesis function or video clip is stopped in function block 707, andthe process returns to the main program. If there is no active or pausedspeech synthesis function or playing or paused video clip, then thedouble click is ignored. In either case, the process again returns tothe main program.

A menu interface may be displayed for some functions not directlyinvolving a specific interactive multimedia book, such as the selectionof an interactive multimedia book to play as described with reference toFIGS. 6B and 6C above. In such a case when a mouse is not being used,the button 124 can be used for cursor movement and selection, as shownin FIG. 7B. So for the example described above with reference to FIG.6B, when the startup procedure has completed and a CD or DVD is in theremovable media drive 513, the user is prompted in function block 609 bythe display of a first button with the legend “PLAY” and a second buttonwith the legend “CANCEL”. The default position of the cursor is on thefirst, or PLAY, button so that the user can select that button by asingle click of the button 124. However, should the user wish to selectthe CANCEL button, the cursor is moved to that button by a double clickof button 124, and then the CANCEL button may be selected by a singleclick of button 124.

The process is similar to that shown in FIG. 7A and begins by detectinga single click or a double click of button 124 in decision block 710. Ifa single click, the displayed button on which the cursor rests isselected in function block 711, and the function selected is executed infunction block 712. If a double click, the cursor is moved to the nextdisplayed button in function block 713, and the process loops back todecision block 710. This double click operation may be used to move thecursor from one displayed button to another in succession, returning tothe original displayed button. In this way, multiple choices (more thantwo) may be provided to the user.

The procedure just described for cursor movement and selection can beenhanced in the case of a tool bar displayed on the display screen,allowing the user to move from one tool to another by double clickingthe button 124. If a particular tool in the tool bar is selected, then apull down menu is displayed under that tool with the first entry in themenu highlighted. Double clicking on button 124 would highlightsuccessive menu entries, returning to the tool bar and closing the pulldown menu. Single clicking on one of the menu entries would launch thedisplayed function. Obviously, this procedure can be carried further tothe case where a menu entry, when selected, results in a fly out menu,again with the first menu entry highlighted, and so on.

FIGS. 8A to 8G, taken together, are a flow diagram illustrating thevoice recognition control functions of the interactive multimedia book.During system startup illustrated in FIG. 6A, the voice recognitionsoftware is activated. However, in most applications, there is apossible feedback problem if the speech synthesis function is currentlyactive or if a video clip is being played. Therefore, in FIG. 8A, thesystem checks in decision block 801 to determine if either the speechsynthesis function is active or if a video clip is being played. If so,the voice recognition function is inhibited in function block 802, andthe process loops back to decision block 801. If, however, neither thespeech synthesis function is active or a video clip is being played,then the process goes to decision block 803 where the input is monitoredfrom the microphone to determine if a voice is detected. This monitoringfunction continues until a voice is detected or until one of the speechsynthesis function is active or a video clip is played.

Note that the functions of decision block 801 and function block 802 maybe omitted or disabled in the event that the headphone and microphoneset 400 shown in FIG. 4 is being used. The reason for this is that thepossibility of feedback is eliminated by the use of the headphone andmicrophone set. If these functions are disabled, then additionalcommands are enabled in the command set as described in more detailbelow.

Once a voice is detected, a lexical analysis is performed in functionblock 804. The lexical analysis involves a low level analysis in whichsound waves are split into phonemes (i.e., elements of sound) andmorphemes (i.e., elements of meaning) in a process of translating thesound waves into words and other elementary segments of meaning (calledtokens). The lexical analysis requires some understanding of what wordsare and the various ways they can be used so that the appropriate wordscan be recognized. Once this process is complete, a check is made indecision block 805 to determine if a bypass has been set. This will beexplained in more detail below. Assuming for now that the bypass has notbeen set, a command dictionary is accessed in function block 806. Adetermination is made in decision block 807 as to whether the detectedvoiced word is recognized as being a command. If so, then theappropriate command function is called in function block 808. After thecommand function is performed, a return is made to decision block 801. Apreferred voiced command set is listed below.

Voiced Command Set

-   CONTENTS—display table of contents of the book-   DISPLAY—display image of completed project-   GLOSSARY—display glossary of terms used in the book-   IDEX—display index of the book-   LIST—list active hyperlinks on current page by displaying a list of    hyperlinks and speaking each hyperlink in order or, if no active    hyperlinks on current page, returning “no active hyperlinks”-   NEXT—go to next page for current recipe or project or return “end”    if last page of current recipe or project-   PAUSE—pause reading of text or playing of video clip (this command    active only if headphone and microphone set 400 are used)-   PLAY—play a selected video clip or return “no video clip selected”    (this command active only if headphone and microphone set 400 are    used)-   PRINT—print a displayed recipe, bill of materials, ingredients or    the like or return an error message if there is no displayed recipe,    bill of materials, ingredients or the like-   READ—read displayed text-   RETURN—return to last page in LIFO register-   SELECT—select a displayed button-   SHOW—display a recipe, bill of materials, or ingredients for a    current project (similar to PRINT)-   STOP—stop reading displayed text or playing video clip (this command    active only if headphone and microphone set 400 are used)-   VIDEO—select a video clip represented by a displayed icon    Notice that the voiced command set are all single words. This    simplifies the recognition process so that only the lexical analysis    of function block 804 is required; that is, it is not necessary to    recognize the parts of speech and meaning of a sentence.

The READ command function is shown in FIG. 9. When this command functionis called from the main program, the displayed text is accessed infunction block 901, and then a processing loop is entered by accessingthe next word in the text in function block 902. For the initial accessof the displayed text, the next word will be the first word. Adetermination is made in decision block 903 as to whether the word is ahyperlink by testing for the hyperlink attributes. If so, the visual andaural hyperlink attributes are activated in function block 904 to alertthe user that this word is a hyperlink. Typically, the visual attributeis a change of color but may be other attributes including increasingthe brightness, reverse color, flashing or a combination of these andother attributes. The aural attribute may be bell ring or chime, forexample. Whether a hyperlink or not, the text-to-speech module of thevoice synthesizer speaks the word in function block 905. Then, adetermination is made in decision block 906 as to whether there areadditional words to be read to the user and, if so, the process loopsback to function block 902; otherwise, a return is made to the mainprogram.

In the course of the text being read to the user, the user will be madeaware of hyperlinks on the current page by the visual and auralattributes. If after the reading of the current page is completed theuser is unsure of which words in the text are hyperlinks, the user caninvoke the LIST command. The preferred process for the LIST command isshown in FIG. 10. When this command function is called from the mainprogram, the displayed text is accessed in function block 1001, and thena processing loop is entered by accessing the next word in the text infunction block 1002. For the initial access of the displayed text, thenext word will be the first word. A determination is made in decisionblock 1003 as to whether the word is a hyperlink by testing for thehyperlink attributes. If so, the word is stored in a temporary buffer infunction block 1004. Then, a determination is made in decision block1005 as to whether there are additional words in the text and, if so,the process loops back to function block 1002; otherwise, the words inthe temporary buffer are displayed in function block 1006 for the userto see and, optionally, the words are read in order by thetext-to-speech module of the speech synthesizer. While still displayingthe listed hyperlinks, a return is made to the main program to await theuser's next spoken command.

As an alternative to the LIST command, the user could invoke the SHOWcommand. The process for this command is essentially the same as that ofthe READ command, except that instead of reading the text with thetext-to-speech module of the voice synthesizer, the visual attribute(s)of the hyperlinks in the text are activated simultaneously andmaintained activated for the user to see so that the hyperlinks areviewed in context. Optionally, the hyperlinks can also be read in theorder in which they appear in the text by the text-to-speech module ofthe speech synthesizer. As a simplification of the READ command, thevisual attribute(s) of the hyperlinks in the text may be activated upondisplay of the text and maintained activated while the text is beingread. This, however, is not the preferred embodiment.

Returning back to FIG. 8A, if a determination is made in decision block807 that the detected voiced word is not a command, then the processgoes to FIG. 8B where a hyperlink dictionary for the book is accessed infunction block 809. As in the case of the voiced command set, thehyperlinks are single words; however, the specific hyperlinks will varyfrom book to book. In other words, the hyperlink dictionary iscustomized for the specific topic and content of the book. Adetermination is then made in decision block 810 as to whether thedetected voice is recognized as a hyperlink. If a hyperlink for the bookis recognized, a further test is made in decision block 811 to determineif the hyperlink is active. A switch to a hyperlink anchor will not bemade unless the hyperlink is active; that is, in order for the hyperlinkto be active, the detected hyperlink must appear on the currentlydisplayed page. This is necessary to provide the switching context whichallows a return to the current page. If the hyperlink is active (thatis, on the currently displayed page), then the current page number issaved in a last-in/first-out buffer (LIFO) in function block 812. Thebook then goes to the page where the hyperlink anchor is located anddisplays that page. If the hyperlink is not currently active, the speechsynthesis function is activated in function block 813 to inform the userthat the hyperlink is not currently active and to prompt the user torepeat what was said so that another attempt may be made to recognizethe detected voice. The process then loops back to decision block 801 toawait the next voice detection.

When the user has activated a hyperlink to a technique in the book, thetechnique may include a video clip to supplement the text and graphicalillustrations. Video clips are indicated by an icon which is displayedadjacent to or imbedded in the text. If the user wants to play the videoclip, he or she must first select the video clip icon and then play it.The process is shown in FIG. 11A. When the VIDEO command function iscalled from the main program, the page is searched in function block1101 to determine if there is a video icon associated with this page. Adetermination is made in decision block 1102 to determine if a videoicon has been found. If so, the video icon is selected in function block1103; otherwise, the speech synthesis is activated to tell the user thatno video icon is present on the current page and the user is prompted infunction block 1104 to repeat the command so that another attempt can bemade to detect the command. Then, a return is made to the main program.

Generally, there will be only one video icon, if any, for a page of thebook. It is possible to have more than one video icon for a page. Ifthat were the case, the user would be prompted to select among the videoicons, and this may be done in any one of several ways. One is todisplay a menu selection with the first video icon as the defaultselection. The user would then select the desired video icon using theprocedure of FIG. 7B. Alternatively, the names of the video icons may bedisplayed and the user prompted to speak the name of the video icon tobe selected.

In FIG. 11B, the command “PLAY” is detected and a determination is firstmade in decision block 1105 as to whether the video icon on the page wasfirst selected by the user (FIG. 11A). If not, the speech synthesisfunction is activated in function block 1106 to inform the user that heor she must first select the video icon by speaking the command “VIDEO”.The user is then prompted to repeat the command so that another attemptcan be made to respond. If the video icon was selected as determined infunction block 1105, the video clip is played from the beginning infunction block 1107. While the video clip is playing, the systemmonitors the playing of the video clip to determine if the play has beenpaused in decision blocks 1108. In most applications, the PAUSE commandis entered by the user by means of the pause/select button 124 as shownin FIG. 7A. If the user is using the headphone and microphone set 400shown in FIG. 4, then the commands PAUSE, RESUME and STOP are activatedin the voice recognition set. In decision block 1107, a determination ismade as to whether the user has input the command PAUSE. If so, theprocess waits. When the RESUME command is detected, the video clip isresumed at the point it was stopped in response to the PAUSE command. Adetermination is made in decision block 1109 as whether the playing ofthe video clip has completed and, if so, the process returns to the mainprogram; otherwise, the process waits. If the STOP command is made bythe user (as determined in FIG. 7A, for example), the video clip isstopped and a return is made to the main program. Most video clips willbe quite brief, lasting from less than a minute to just a few minutes.Even so, as the user is attempting to perform the illustrated procedure,the user may want to pause the video to “catch up” with the instructionbeing given.

When the user wants to return the original page, the command “RETURN” isspoken, and the LIFO buffer is accessed to find the original page andmake the switch back to that page. It will of course be understood thatby “page number”, what is meant is any index that may be used by thecomputer system to identify the current display since physical pages, asin a hard copy book, are not what is displayed. The index used may,however, be correlated to a real page number in a hard copy book ifthere is a related hard copy book.

By way of example only, the hyperlink LIFO buffer function can beillustrated for a recipe in a cookbook for pound cake. Suppose therecipe suggests a butter cream frosting for the pound cake. The word“butter cream” would appear as a hyperlink on the pound cake recipepage. By speaking the word “butter cream”, the current page number isstored in the LIFO buffer and a switch is made to the recipe for buttercream frosting. This recipe, in turn, uses an Italian meringue intowhich butter is incorporated. The word “meringue” is a hyperlink in thebutter cream frosting recipe, and if the user speaks this word, the pagenumber of the butter cream frosting recipe is stored in the LIFO bufferand a switch is made to the recipe for Italian meringue. To take it astep further, the recipe for Italian meringue requires boiling sugar tothe softball stage. The word “softball” is a hyperlink in the Italianmeringue recipe, and if the user speaks this word, the page number ofthe Italian meringue recipe is stored in the LIFO buffer and a switch ismade to the page of the cook book which describes boiling sugar to thesoftball stage. Now if the user is ready to go back to the originalrecipe, the user voices the command “RETURN”. However, the LIFO buffernow has three page numbers stored in it. From the page providingdirections for boiling sugar to the softball stage, the command “RETURN”will return to the page having the recipe for Italian meringue. A secondvoiced command “RETURN” will return to the page having the recipe forbutter cream frosting, and a third voiced command “RETURN” will returnto the page having the recipe for pound cake.

The RETURN command process is illustrated in FIG. 12. When this processis entered from the main program, the LIFO buffer is accessed infunction block 1201. A determination is made in decision block 1202 asto whether there is a page number stored in the LIFO buffer. If there isnot, the speech synthesis function is activated and the user is informedin function block 1203 that there is currently no page to return to andthe user is prompted to repeat the command so that another attempt canbe made to respond. If there is a page number stored in the LIFO bufferas determined in decision block 1202, a return is made to the last pagecurrently stored in the LIFO buffer in function block 1204. Then, thepage to which the return is made is deleted from the LIFO buffer infunction block 1205 so that if there are additional pages stored in theLIFO buffer, a return will be made to the next page in order upon thespoken command RETURN being detected again. At this point, a return ismade to the main program.

Returning again to FIG. 8B, if it is determined in decision block 810that the user has not spoken a hyperlink in the hyperlink dictionary forthe book, then a natural language key word dictionary is accessed infunction block 814. The invention contemplates natural language queriesby the user. In the preferred embodiments, a simplified natural languageinterface is used. Basically, only four key words are recognized in thepreferred embodiment. These are “WHAT”, “MAKE”, “HOW” and “GO”, althoughother key words may be used in modifications to the preferredembodiment. The queries that are recognized are listed in the tablebelow:

Natural Language Queries

-   “WHAT” is [ ]—process the word or phrase in brackets [ ] and return    displayed and spoken definition-   I want to “MAKE” [ ]—process term or phrase in brackets [ ] and go    to requested project or recipe-   “HOW” do I [ ]—process phrase in brackets [ ]and go to requested    technique-   “GO” to [ ]—go to page number, recipe or project or go to technique    voiced by user    -   a. page “[number]”—e.g., “GO TO PAGE 12”. Here the page number        may be correlated to a hard copy version of the book, and the        computer system accesses the corresponding page for display.    -   b. name of “[recipe or project]”—e.g., “GO TO CHILD'S TABLE”    -   c. name of “[technique]”—e.g., “GO TO DOVETAIL JOINERY”

A test is made in decision block 815 to determine if the detected wordmatches one of the key words in the dictionary. If not, the speechsynthesis function is activated in function block 816 to inform the userthat the voiced word has not been recognized and to prompt the user torepeat what was said so that another attempt may be made to recognizethe word. The process then loops back to decision block 801, viaconnector C, in FIG. 8A to await the next voice detection.

If the detected word is one of the words in the key word dictionary, asdetermined in decision block 815, then the process goes to FIG. 8C wherea determination is made in decision block 817 as to whether the key word“WHAT” is detected, and if so, a switch corresponding to that word isset in function block 818 and the bypass is set in function block 819before a return is made to decision block 801. If the key word detectedis not “WHAT”, a determination is made in decision block 820 as towhether the key word detected is “MAKE”. If so, a switch correspondingto that word is set in function block 821 and the bypass is set infunction block 819 before a return is made to decision block 801. If thekey word detected is not “MAKE”, as determined in decision block 820,then a determination is made in decision block 822 to determine if thekey word is “HOW”. If so, a switch corresponding to that word is set infunction block 823 and the bypass is set in function block 819 before areturn is made to decision block 801. If the key word is not “HOW” asdetermined in decision block 822, then in this embodiment, the key wordmust be “GO”. A switch corresponding to that word is set in functionblock 824 and the bypass set in function block 819 before a return ismade to decision block 801.

The reason for setting the bypass in function block 819 is so that thenext words or phrase will be analyzed for their content in order todetermine how to respond to the user's query. When the next words orphrase are detected, the decision block 805 in FIG. 8A will bypass theusual word analysis and instead be passed, via connector B, first to thesyntactic analysis in function block 825 in FIG. 8D and then to thesemantic analysis in function block 826. Thus, tokens from the lexicalanalysis in function block 804 in FIG. 8A are analyzed in the syntacticanalysis function 825 to determine whether or not they are part of asentence. A parse tree divides the sentence into parts of speech (i.e.,subject, verb, object, etc.). Then the semantic analysis function 826converts the parse tree to a representation of language that details themeaning of the sentence.

When this analysis is complete, a check is made in decision block 827 todetermine if the switch key word “WHAT” was set. If so, an index ofterms and definitions is accessed in function block 828, and thesentence output by the semantic analysis function 826 is analyzed bycomparing with an index of terms in decision block 829. If acorresponding term is found in the index as determined in decision block829, then a definition of the word or term in question is displayed andread to the user in function block 830. Optionally, locations within thebook where the word or term appears may also be displayed. Theselocations may be hyperlinks, allowing the user by speaking a hyperlinkto go directly to the corresponding location. After the definition isread in function block 830, the key word switches and the bypass switchare reset in function block 831 before a return is made to decisionblock 801 in FIG. 8A. If a corresponding word or term is not found inthe index, as determined in decision block 829, the speech synthesizeris activated in function block 832 to inform the user that the term wasnot found and to prompt the user to repeat his or her question. Again,the key word switches and the bypass switch are reset in function block831 before a return is made to decision block 801.

If the query does not include the word “WHAT” as determined in decisionblock 827, the process goes to FIG. 8E, via connector E, where a test ismade in decision block 833 to determine if the key switch for the word“MAKE” was set. This word is interpreted to mean that the user wants tomake a particular project or recipe. If the word “MAKE” is detected, theprojects or recipes covered in the particular interactive multimediabook are accessed in function block 834. A comparison is made indecision block 835 of the phrase following the word “MAKE” and theprojects or recipes covered by the book to determine if the project orrecipe requested is covered. If not, the speech synthesis application isactivated to return an error and prompt the user to repeat the commandin function block 840 before a return is made to FIG. 8D via connectorF. If the project or recipe voiced by the user is unambiguous, asdetermined in function block 836, then the process goes to that sectionof the book which covers the project or recipe in function block 837.Again, the key word switches and the bypass switch are reset in functionblock 831 before a return is made to decision block 801.

If more than one project or recipe is found which is covered by the bookas determined by decision block 836, then the user is prompted infunction block 838 to select which project or recipe he or she wants tomake. For example, suppose the user says, “I want to make a cake”. Theremay be several types of cake to choose from and for each type of cake,there may be several recipes. The user may first be prompted in functionblock 838 to select among sponge or foam cakes, butter cakes, biscuitcakes, custard cakes, and fruit cakes. The prompt may be in the form aspeech synthesized prompt to select from among a displayed menu ofchoices, in which case the user would use the membrane button switch 124(FIG. 1) to make a selection. Alternatively, after prompting the user tomake a selection, a return may be made to decision block 801 withoutresetting the bypass switch to receive the user's voiced selection. Oncethe user makes a selection of the type of cake, then the user would beprompted to select from among the recipes for that type of cake infunction block 838. In decision block 839, a determination is made as towhether the user has selected a specific project or recipe, and if so,the process goes to that section of the book which covers the project orrecipe in function block 837. The key word switches and the bypassswitch are reset in function block 831, and the process then loops backto decision block 801.

If the key word is not “MAKE” as determined in decision block 833, theprocess goes to FIG. 8F, via connector G, where a determination is madein decision block 841 as to whether the key word is “HOW”. If the queryincludes the word “HOW”, this word is interpreted to mean that the userneeds instruction in a particular technique. If the word “HOW” isdetected, the techniques covered in the particular interactivemultimedia book are accessed in function block 842. A comparison is madein decision block 843 of the phrase following the word “HOW” and thetechniques covered by the book to determine if the technique requestedis covered. If the technique is covered, the process goes to thatsection of the multimedia book that covers the technique in functionblock 844. If not, the speech synthesis function is activated infunction block 845 to inform the user that the requested technique isnot covered by the book and to prompt the user to ask the questionagain. In either case, the key word switches and the bypass switch arereset in function block 831 (via connector F), and a return is made todecision block 801.

If the key word is not “HOW” as determined in function block 841 in FIG.8F, then a test is made in decision block 846 to determine if the switchfor the key word is “GO” is set. For this embodiment, there are onlyfour key words and one of the key word switches should be set ondetecting a key word in decision block 815 in FIG. 8B. If no key wordswitch has been set, then there has been an error. Therefore, the speechsynthesis function is activated to return an error message to the userin function block 847. The user is also prompted to repeat the querybefore the key word switches and the bypass switch are reset in functionblock 831, via connector F, before a return is made to decision block801 in FIG. 8A.

Assuming that the switch for the key word “GO” was properly set, thenthe process goes to FIG. 8G, via connector H, where an index of pages isfirst accessed in function block 848. A determination is made indecision block 849 as to whether a page was found corresponding to thequery. The user may speak a desired page number corresponding to a hardcopy of the book. If so, the process goes to the page in the multimediabook corresponding to the page in the hard copy of the book in functionblock 850. From there, the process goes to the reset function block 831(via connector F) before a return is made to decision block 801.

If a page was not found in decision block 849, then an index of projectsor recipes is accessed in function block 851. A determination is thenmade in decision block 852 as to whether a project or recipe was foundcorresponding to the query. If so, the process goes in function block853 to that section of the multimedia book which describes the projector recipe. From there, the process goes to the reset function block 831before a return is made to decision block 801.

If a project or recipe was not found in decision block 852, an index oftechniques is accessed in function block 854. A determination is made indecision block 855 as to whether a technique corresponding to the queryis found. If so, the process goes in function block 856 to that sectionof the multimedia book which describes the technique. From there, theprocess goes to the reset function block 831 before a return is made todecision block 801.

Should no technique be found in decision block 855, an error hasoccurred. Therefore, in function block 857, the speech synthesisfunction is activated and an error message is returned with a prompt tothe user to repeat his or her query. From there, the process goes to thereset function block 831 before a return is made to decision block 801.

When the headphone and microphone set 400 (FIG. 4) is used, the voicedcommand set is increased by enabling the commands “PAUSE”, “RESUME” and“STOP”. The processes of these commands are shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and15, respectively. Referring first to FIG. 13, when the command “PAUSE”is detected, a determination is made in decision block 1301 as towhether a video is being played. If so, the video is paused in functionblock 1302; otherwise, the command is ignored in function block 1303.Referring next to FIG. 14, when the command “RESUME” is detected, adetermination is made in decision block 1401 as to whether a video ispaused. If so, playing of the video is resumed in function block 1402;otherwise, the command is ignored in function block 1403. Finally,referring to FIG. 15, when the command “STOP” is detected, adetermination is made in decision block 1501 as to whether a video isactive, either being played or paused. If so, the video is stopped infunction block 1502; otherwise, the command is ignored in function block1503.

These and the other commands in the command set are examples of thetypes of commands that can be used in various embodiments in thepractice of the invention. Likewise, other key words than thosespecifically disclosed to support a natural language interactiveinterface can be used depending on the specific application. And, ofcourse, the hyperlinks in the text of the interactive multimedia bookwill vary from book to book depending on the subject matter of the book.In any specific application, the interactive multimedia book accordingto this invention provides a unique, convenient and very effectivevehicle for providing instruction on a variety of subjects. Therefore,while the invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventioncan be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A computer system comprising: a system unit havinga generally rectangular shape; a display hinged at one edge of thesystem unit, said display being rotated away from the system unit whenthe computer system is in operation and rotated against the system unitwhen the computer system is not in operation; detecting means associatedwith the display for detecting when a user wants to operate the computersystem and when the user wants turn the computer system off; and anautomatic on and off function implemented on the computer system andresponsive to said detecting means for turning on said computer systemand performing an initial program load of an operating system installedon the computer system when the display is rotated away from the systemunit and for initiating a shut down procedure of any open applicationsand the operating system when the display is rotated against the systemunit.
 17. The computer system recited in claim 16, wherein the computersystem may optionally be placed on a horizontal work surface or mountedunder a cabinet or shelf, the computer system further comprisingorientation means for detecting an orientation of the computer system aseither on a horizontal work surface or mounted under a cabinet or shelf,said automatic on and off function being further responsive to saidorientation means for rotating display information to the display duringthe initial program load of the operating system so that a displayedimage is oriented right side up.
 18. The computer system recited inclaim 16, wherein the detecting means detects a position of the displayas either rotated away from the system unit, indicating that thecomputer system is to be turned on, or rotated against the system unit,indicating that the computer system is to be turned off.
 19. Thecomputer system recited in claim 16, wherein the display is hinged alonga front edge of the system unit.
 20. The computer system recited inclaim 19, further comprising a protective cover hinged along a back edgeof the computer system, the protective cover being rotated to cover andprotect the display when the display is rotated against the system unitand rotated away from the system unit to allow the display to be rotatedaway from the system unit.
 21. The computer system recited in claim 20,wherein the detecting means is actuated by movement of the protectivecover.
 22. The computer system recited in claim 21, wherein the computersystem may optionally be placed on a horizontal work surface or mountedunder a cabinet or shelf, the computer system further comprisingorientation means for detecting an orientation of the computer system aseither on a horizontal work surface or mounted under a cabinet or shelf,said automatic on and off function being further responsive to saidorientation means for rotating display information to the flat paneldisplay during the initial program load of the operating system so thata displayed image is oriented right side up.
 23. The computer systemrecited in claim 16, further comprising a single user interface buttonon a front surface of the system unit, the user interface buttonallowing a user to control functions of software running on the computersystem by a combination of single and double presses of the userinterface button.
 24. The computer system recited in claim 23, whereinthe software includes a multimedia presentation and the single anddouble presses of the user interface button control pause, resume andstop functions of the multimedia presentation.
 25. The computer systemrecited in claim 23, wherein the software presents a user with choicesfor making a selection in a displayed image on the display and thesingle and double presses of the user interface button control movementamong the displayed choices and selection of one of the displayedchoices.
 26. The computer system recited in claim 23, further comprisinga slot on the front face of the computer system for receiving computerreadable media and an eject button for ejecting computer readable mediacurrently in the slot.
 27. The computer system recited in claim 16,further comprising: an internal microphone and an internal speakerproviding a audible interface with a user; a wireless headphone andmicrophone set providing an alternative audible interface with the user;a wireless transceiver attachable to the computer system andcommunicating with the wireless headphone and microphone set; and meansin the computer system for detecting attachment of the wirelesstransceiver to the computer system and inhibiting operation of theinternal microphone and internal speaker. 28-68. (canceled)
 69. Thecomputer system recited in claim 16, further comprising an internalmicrophone and an internal speaker providing an audible interface with auser, said system unit have voice recognition and voice synthesisapplication software for supporting said audible interface.
 70. Thecomputer system recited in claim 69, further comprising a single userinterface button on a front surface of the system unit, the userinterface button allowing a user to control functions of softwarerunning on the computer system by a combination of single and doublepresses of the user interface button.
 71. The computer system recited inclaim 70, wherein the software includes a multimedia presentation andthe single and double presses of the user interface button control,pause, resume and stop functions of the multimedia presentation.
 72. Thecomputer system recited in claim 70, wherein the software presents auser with choices for making a selection in a displayed image on thedisplay and the single and double presses of the user interface buttoncontrol movement among the displayed choices and selection of one of thedisplayed choices.
 73. A method of operating a computer system whichcomprises a system unit having a generally rectangular shape and adisplay hinged at one edge of the system unit, the display beingrotatable away from the system unit when the computer system is inoperation and rotated against the system unit when the computer systemis not in operation, the method comprising the steps of: detecting whenthe display is rotated away from the system unit, indicating that a userwants to operate the computer system, and detecting when the display isrotated against the system unit, indicating that the user wants to turnthe computer system off; automatically turning on said computer systemand performing an initial program load of an operating system installedon the computer system when the display is detected to be rotated awayfrom the system unit; and automatically initiating a shut down procedureof any open applications and the operating system when the display isdetected to be rotated against the system unit.
 74. The method ofoperating a computer system recited in claim 73, further including thesteps of: detecting an orientation of the system unit when the displayis rotated away from the system unit either in an upward or a downwardrotation; and rotating display information to the display during theinitial program load of the operating system so that a displayed imageis oriented right side up.
 75. The method of operating a computer systemrecited in claim 73, wherein the computer system has an internalmicrophone and an internal speaker providing an audible interface with auser, the method further comprising the steps of: responding to audiblecommands received by the internal microphone from a user to performpredetermined functions by the operating system or applications runningon the computer system; and generating audible speech output by theinternal speaker in response to questions or commands from the user. 76.The method of operating a computer system recited in claim 75, whereinthe computer system has a single user interface button on a frontsurface of the system unit, further comprising the step of performingfunctions of software running on the computer system in response to acombination of single and double presses of the user interface button.77. The method of operating a computer system recited in claim 76,wherein the software includes a multimedia presentation, the step ofperforming functions including functions of pause, resume and stop ofthe multimedia presentation.
 78. The method of operating a computersystem recited in claim 76, wherein the software presents a user withchoices for making a selection in a displayed image on the display,further comprising controlling movement among the displayed choices andselection of one of the displayed choices in response to single anddouble presses of the user interface button.